‘Chak de’ India
Irineu Gonsalves, Verna
Mukesh Ambani, India’s richest man seems to be genuinely interested in giving Indian football a boost, if his association with AIFF, is any indication. Our football mandarins would do well, to place the reality before him. The reality is that our football standards have slumped even further, after Bob Houghton took over. This is not Bob’s fault. Our approach is antiquated and not in keeping with the times. However, India’s Asia Cup 2011 lung opener against Australia was not that bad.
We should emulate Germany as our role model. The need to introduce a uniform obligatory youth training system emerged after Germany’s disastrous 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000 performances. This became a requirement for clubs of the two top divisions. Over half a billion euros have been pumped into the so-called academies. The results are there for all to see as Germany finished third, and what a transformed side it was, thanks to the training system regimen. Players like Thomas Mueller, Mesut Özil, etc are products of the system.
We have to focus on what Germany is doing rather than segregate star players from the respective clubs and get them trained. The AIFF would do well to make Mukesh Ambani interact with football luminaries, to take India forward.
I salute Herald
John Eric Gomes, Porvorim
Herald has fought for Goan interests and the preservation of Goa. The newspaper has also been in the forefront in the fight for justice and has walked the talk. Fearless editors and journalists have been attacked, both physically, and in the media. The government tried to browbeat and shut it down. But as a force of people’s power, it grew even stronger! For that I salute Herald. Just like strong traditions of Sati and Khap Panchayats must go, very late night loud music (traditional dances/wedding receptions) and barbaric bullfights should be a thing of the past. Times have changed, and resident rights have to be respected! What is music for some is intolerable disturbance/noise for others. I pray that we can make 2011, the turning point for a cleaner, greener and a less corrupt year.
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Rise in traffic accidents
Michael Vaz, Merces
With the advent of the New Year, there has been a spate of accidents on the roads of Goa. It has become a common sight to see newspaper reports carry pictures, not only of two wheelers, but even cars and trucks being turned on their sides, and on some occasions, even upside down. One such major accident was on the Mandovi bridge, a couple of days ago. There have been so many deaths and even pedestrians crossing the roads, are not been spared.
It has become a habit for people to indulge in reckless driving, overtaking from the wrong side, crossing lanes indiscriminately, which are in violation of traffic rules. People should learn to control their ego and minimise trouble to themselves and to others.
Goa without Goans?
Jovita Fernandes, Margao
With the increase in the inflow of non-Goans into Goa, it seems the number of Goans are rapidly decreasing. Non-Goans are increasingly noticeable, nowadays, in every part of Goa. These include migrants, labourers etc., who enter Goa for a short period, but end up by happily making Goa their home. But what is annoying is their hygiene and impoliteness. If one visits Margao during mornings, near the MMC, you will find them all in huge numbers. The concerned authorities need to keep a strict check on the inflow of these newcomers to Goa, because if this is not curbed, it won’t be long when their number will surpass that of Goans. This troubles me a lot, because as a Goan, I don’t want to see a Goa without Goans. Do you?
Shift in culture?
Peter Andrade, Vasco
Last Christmas eve, I overheard a gentleman from Karnataka, who has settled in Goa stating: “We have a holiday tomorrow, as ‘these Christians’ have a feast, I don’t know what feast it is.” One can expect such words from uneducated migrants. These are a class of people settled in Goa, who don’t know nor care to know anything about Goan culture, and the religious amity, which Goa is famous for. Do they expect us to learn their culture, or should we learn their culture, as very soon, they may out number us?
Allotment of land
Rocky Dias, Raia
The Santa Cruz MLA has assured to take up the issue of land allotment in the Assembly, on behalf of 4,000 SC/STs and families coming from the poor strata of society. The area is around Chimbel, that was earmarked for the health city. Each family of the poor strata will be given around 1,000m2, which is five times more than the requirement of a single poor family. Will the receivers of the plot be genuine Goans, or the outsiders, who form the vote bank? The surplus land must be given to original and genuine Goans, who are longing to make a home of their own or to those who live outside Goa, who wish to come back to their roots. In the case of surplus land, the government must necessarily advertise and give first preference to the homeless Goans in Goa, and outside Goa, to make their own home.
Please come again, Prez
Jonas Correia, Aldona
The whirlwind visit to Goa by President Pratibha Patil was welcome. Despite all the luxuries, amenities and comforts provided by the 600 room presidential palace, there was more that Goa offered, and that was its ambience and atmosphere.
However, if the visit has caused any inconvenience to anyone, it would have been more prudent for the President to be flown in a chopper from the airport to Raj Bhavan and vice versa, or even to the Taj.
Nevertheless, President Patil is always welcome here again, and is encouraged to visit places of historical importance, as Goa boasts of several firsts in Asia.
IPL4’s garish money show
S Kamat, Alto Betim
The current auction for the IPL-4 season is an obscene show of money, in a country, which has been reeling under runaway inflation on food prices. 67% of India’s population is below the poverty line.
The question that we need to ask ourselves, as a nation, is whether we need this kind of conspicuous consumption shows, which are vulgar and garish, and out of tune with the country’s reality?
The IPL organisation was recently exposed under Lalit Modi’s stewardship with multiple scams. There are also reports from many players including Kumar Sangakkara and Yuvraj Singh that the team managements have not settled their past dues. Thus, before allowing the IPL-4 season to go any further, is it not better that they should put their house in order, rather than convert it into a ‘tamasha’?
Bunch of jokers…
Kajal Chatterjee, Kolkata
Apropos the news report “Big guns bite dust”(Herald, 10 Jan), in the 2010 edition of IPL, Sourav Ganguly not only scored as many as 493 runs at a brilliant average of 37.92; his aggregate was also the fourth-highest. That Sourav achieved to do that even after two years of forced retirement from international cricket, made his feat all the more creditable. He proved that he has many years of cricket left in him. His electrifying fielding capabilities are legendary. KKR not only ignored the city’s icon, but IPL’s most successful batsman of its previous editions. Other franchisees have also preferred to overlook him. It proves that the IPL auction is not governed on cricketing merits but is a system, where industry captains, film stars and company executives, call the shots. The noble game of cricket, and all things logical, has simply yielded place to brute monetary muscle and whims of a non-cricketing “bunch of jokers…”
